Ritzenhein Now Focusing On 10,000m

Over a month has passed since former University of Colorado standout Dathan Ritzenhein finished fourth in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

The experience, missing out on the team by one place, was heartbreaking for Ritzenhein, who had been making a comeback from persistent injury.

However, he’s now trying to refocus his efforts, concentrating on a different distance: the 10,000m. It’s a distance that Ritzenhein has done well in before. At the 2009 world championships he finished sixth in the event.

“Some of the things I said afterward were emotional, for sure,” Ritzenhein said of the Olympic Trials Marathon. “I ran one of my best marathons, off of very little training. So by no means am I done with the marathon. But I am more certain than I was that I’m going to concentrate on shorter distance races. The marathon will be something I’ll do, but it’s not going to be the sole focus of my entire training.”